Psalm 18:9 kjv
He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
Psalm 18:9 nkjv
He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet.
Psalm 18:9 niv
He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
Psalm 18:9 esv
He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet.
Psalm 18:9 nlt
He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
Psalm 18 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 22:10 | He bowed the heavens and came down... | Parallel passage illustrating God's powerful descent to deliver. |
| Exod 19:16-18 | ...cloud, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people... | God's formidable appearance at Sinai with clouds, thunder, and fire. |
| Deut 4:11 | ...mountain was burning with fire up to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and thick gloom. | God's awe-inspiring and terrifying presence amidst darkness. |
| Ps 144:5 | Bow Your heavens, O Lord, and come down... | David's appeal for God's active, personal intervention. |
| Isa 64:1 | Oh that You would rend the heavens, that You would come down... | A plea for God to visibly intervene with power and justice. |
| Ps 97:2 | Clouds and thick darkness are all around Him... | Describes God's throne and sovereign mystery surrounded by darkness. |
| Hab 3:3-5 | God came from Teman... His splendor covered the heavens... | Prophetic vision of God's majestic coming, marked by cosmic power. |
| Nah 1:3 | ...the Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and clouds are the dust of His feet. | God's absolute sovereignty over natural forces and His swift movement. |
| Job 26:9 | He wraps up the waters in His clouds, yet the cloud does not burst under them. | Illustrates God's perfect control over the elements, including clouds. |
| Ps 104:3 | He lays the beams of His upper chambers on their waters... He rides on the wings of the wind. | God's utilization of natural elements as a vehicle for His presence. |
| Exod 20:21 | ...the people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. | Highlights the holy, unapproachable nature of God's presence. |
| Lev 16:2 | ...for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. | God manifesting His presence within a cloud. |
| Ps 29:3-4 | The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders... | God's mighty voice revealed in thunderous storms. |
| Ps 50:3 | Our God comes; He does not keep silence; fire devours before Him... | God's advent accompanied by overwhelming natural forces. |
| Isa 40:22 | It is He who sits above the circle of the earth... | Reinforces God's transcendence and sovereign perspective. |
| Ps 110:1 | The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." | "Footstool" imagery indicating complete subjugation of enemies. |
| Matt 5:35 | ...nor by the earth, for it is His footstool... | Jesus affirming the earth as God's footstool, representing His dominion. |
| Acts 7:49 | ‘Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool...' | God's absolute and uncontainable dominion over creation. |
| Heb 1:13 | But to which of the angels has He ever said, "Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet"? | Demonstrates Christ's supreme authority, fulfilling the footstool imagery. |
| Rev 1:7 | Behold, He is coming with the clouds... | Prophecy of Christ's return, often associated with clouds. |
| Matt 24:30 | ...they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. | Christ's future coming in majestic, cloud-borne power. |
| 1 Thess 4:17 | ...we who are alive... will be caught up together with them in the clouds... | Saints meeting Christ in the air, connecting to cloud appearances. |
| Jude 1:14 | ...the Lord comes with ten thousands of His holy ones... | Description of the Lord's formidable and majestic arrival. |
Psalm 18 verses
Psalm 18 9 Meaning
This verse powerfully describes God's direct and majestic intervention. It portrays the Lord "bowing the heavens" and "coming down," signifying His profound condescension and immediate response to David's cry for help. The accompanying "darkness was under His feet" emphasizes His awe-inspiring, mysterious, and unapproachable power, highlighting His complete control over the elements and the profound holiness that veils His full glory. It vividly depicts God as the divine warrior descending from His heavenly abode to deliver His faithful servant.
Psalm 18 9 Context
Psalm 18 is a monumental psalm of thanksgiving and praise delivered by King David, recounted following his miraculous deliverance "from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul." It serves as a poetic memoir of divine rescue, illustrating God's power and faithfulness. Verse 9 is part of a sweeping "theophany" – a majestic manifestation of God. This segment depicts the Lord appearing as a Divine Warrior, utilizing cosmic and storm imagery to describe His immediate and overwhelming descent to intervene on David's behalf. It contrasts David's vulnerability with God's ultimate sovereignty and destructive might against oppressors.
Psalm 18 9 Word analysis
- He bowed (נָטָה, natah): This Hebrew verb means to stretch out, incline, or bow down. Here, it denotes an active, purposeful act of condescension, not weakness, as if God is bending the vast cosmos to approach David directly. It conveys divine attentiveness and immediate readiness to act, emphasizing the intimacy of God's response despite His transcendence.
- the heavens (שָׁמַיִם, shamayim): Refers to the sky, the firmament, and symbolically, God's dwelling place. The plural form implies vastness. God "bowing" the heavens illustrates His complete dominion over His creation, indicating He can bring His boundless sphere near to act on earth. This shows His power is not limited by distance or cosmic order, but transcends and controls all.
- also, and came down (וַיֵּרַד, vayēraḏ): From the Hebrew verb יָרַד (yarad), meaning to descend or go down. This underscores direct divine intervention rather than mere distant influence. God personally enters the earthly conflict, signifying His immanence and deep involvement in human affairs, demonstrating a tangible and active presence in times of distress.
- and darkness (וַעֲרָפֶל, va'ăraphel): From the Hebrew עֲרָפֶל (araphel), signifying thick darkness, dense clouds, or a gloomy mist, frequently associated with violent storms and divine manifestation (theophany). This darkness is not chaotic or evil but sacred and majestic. It symbolizes God's hidden glory, the awe-inspiring mystery of His presence, and His unapproachable holiness, which humans cannot directly perceive.
- was under His feet (תַּחַת רַגְלָיו, tachaṯ raglāv): This phrase illustrates absolute control and sovereignty. The thick, awesome darkness, which might normally inspire terror, is here depicted as merely a platform or a carpet beneath God's feet. This signifies that God completely masters and utilizes the elements, including chaos and mystery, as instruments of His will, serving as a display of His royal authority.
- Phrase analysis: "He bowed the heavens also, and came down": This conveys God's profound self-abasement, not in humility of weakness but of magnificent power. It's a dramatic, anthropomorphic image portraying the Creator God actively initiating descent from His cosmic throne, showcasing His immense power and willingness to personally engage with the distress of His faithful. This sets the stage for a spectacular demonstration of divine rescue.
- Phrase analysis: "and darkness was under His feet": This segment highlights God's unassailable majesty and ultimate control. The very elements that can evoke fear—storm, clouds, darkness—are entirely subject to Him, serving as His vehicle. This powerful imagery not only accentuates His omnipotence but also holds a polemic against ancient near-eastern deities associated with storms, clearly proclaiming Yahweh's unparalleled supremacy over all creation and lesser gods.
Psalm 18 9 Bonus section
This verse provides foundational imagery for understanding divine condescension throughout the Bible. It shows that God's willingness to "come down" is not a sign of His limitation, but a demonstration of His immense power, sovereign purpose, and unwavering commitment to His people. This concept matures through the biblical narrative, culminating in the ultimate divine "coming down" in the person of Jesus Christ (Jn 1:14; Phil 2:5-8). The stormy, dark, and awesome aspects of God's presence as depicted in Ps 18:9 also foreshadow His future powerful interventions, whether in judgment or ultimate deliverance at the end of time. The elements depicted as being "under His feet" are powerful symbols that signify His total mastery over all natural forces and over any opposition.
Psalm 18 9 Commentary
Psalm 18:9 is a focal point of a biblical theophany, portraying God as the supreme deliverer. His act of "bowing the heavens" and "coming down" is an expression of divine condescension—God purposefully bridges the infinite gap between Creator and creation to act on behalf of His servant. The accompanying "darkness under His feet" does not signify malice or confusion, but rather the awesome, inscrutable majesty and veiled glory of a God whose power and holiness are beyond human comprehension, yet perfectly controlled and utilized for His divine purposes. This vivid description underlines God's readiness to intervene with overwhelming power against adversaries, offering a powerful assurance of divine rescue and the terrifying beauty of His sovereign presence.